Redbarred Hawkfish

A good dive?

There may be a few criteria of a good diving experience. One of the top reasons I would call it a good dive… When the dive results in at least one really good photo.

This fellow was not in a cave, not in a wall, but out on the coral flats, and area not usually associated with great photo opportunities. Out on the flats the light is troublesome, in a cave or under an overhang I can control the light, eliminating the strong blue green hues that ruin so many photos. Under a coral head, I spot a fish just perched in the crevice. He did not move despite six or seven exposures with the camera a foot in front of him…

Redbarred Hawkfish
Redbarred hawkfish (Cirrhitops fasciatus) perched in a reef crevice

Lava Advances on Pāhoa

We have all been watching the lava flow for the past several weeks as it crept ever closer to the homes and businesses of Pāhoa. Not since the destruction of Kalapana in the 1980’s has the volcano threatened so much destruction. This historic plantation town is a special place, a town with a very unique character, a place that preserves some of what makes Hawaiʻi special.

This morning the flow crossed the first road above the town. If the flow keeps the current advancement rate it will be in the town over the next couple days. My thoughts are with the residents of Pāhoa… Stay safe!

An Enormous Sunspot Complex

Sunspot complex AR2192 is the largest I have seen in a long time. Easily visible without a telescope, simply using appropriate eye protection. It is quite large, more than ten times the diameter of the Earth. There are reports of it being noticed at sunset.

I photographed the sunspot during lunch fron Waimea, setting up a little telescope next to my vehicle in the Keck parking lot. The photo was taken using a TV-76mm telescope, the EOS-M camera and a Baader solar film filter, the same setup I viewed the Venus transit with.

Of course there was a partial solar eclipse today, visible across western North America. Photos of this enormous sunspot and the eclipse are now being posted across the web. Unfortunately this eclipse was not visible from Hawai’i. If you have not taken a look, I urge you to step outside with your solar viewing glasses and take a quick look. You do have solar viewing glasses handy… Right?

Sunspot AR2192
Sunspot complex AR2192 on 23 October, 2014, Canon EOS-M and TV-76mm telescope

New Moon

Young Moon
A very young moon over Waikoloa, this is only 26 hours after new, visible to the unaided eye as a sliver in the fading glow of sunset
New Moon will occur today at 11:57HST.

A partial solar eclipse will sweep across western North America today, from Alaska to Mexico. For those in the best possible place the Moon will cover about 80% of the Sun. The eclipse will be visible for some distance out into the Pacific, but will not be visible in Hawai’i.

Continue reading “New Moon”